Mary Louise Larsen – Our Elect Lady
This past Saturday, September 7, 2019, friends and family gathered to celebrate the life of Lady Elect, wife, grandmother, mother and friend, Mary Lou Larsen.
On Monday, September 2, 2019, Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Larsen, loving wife of our late prophet, Frederick N. Larsen, and mother of five children, passed away in peace at the age of 86, surrounded by family.
Mary Lou was born on June 28, 1933 in Kansas City, MO to Vernon Arthur Malott and Margret Pearl Malott. Mary graduated from William Chrisman High School also in Independence, MO in 1952. On June 7, 1952 Mary Lou married Frederick N. Larsen, the love of her life for the last 67 years. They raised three sons, Larry, Brian and Stephen “Stevie” and two daughters, Luann and Linda.
Soon after high school and her marriage to “Freddie”, Mary Lou landed her first job at Southwestern Bell, Kansas City, MO as a Switchboard General Operator. She worked mostly the evening shift while Fred finished his college degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. When Fred and Mary started their family in 1953 Mary Lou continued to speak the words “Operator, How my I help you?” moving from Southwestern Bell to the Independence Sanitarium, Independence, MO and once again moving to the Medical Center of Independence (MCI) as a Switchboard Operator.
At MCI she eventually landed in the admitting office, both general and emergency room areas. Mary Lou enjoyed the medical environment and continued her work in the medical management field where she helped establish the office of Blue Springs Internal Medicine in Blue Springs, MO and from where she retired in 1995.
In life Mary always kept the mantra of saying things like “Hello – My Family, Friend, Lord and Savior, Stranger – How May I Help You?” She was always there to make sure everyone had what they needed and knew it was her calling to help. As the wife of Frederick Larsen and First Lady to the President of the High Priesthood of the Remnant Church since April 2002, Mary touched many lives around the world and at home.
Mary Lou enjoyed having fun at whatever she was doing. She was a huge Chiefs and Royals fan – always supporting the home team. She played ladies basketball during high school and loved going to any of her sons’ or daughters’ sporting events. Mary and Fred hardly missed a grandchild or great-grandchild’s games of any kind. Mary Lou and Fred loved to travel, especially to Hawaii where they visited annually and shared with family and friends. Together they enjoyed playing cards with friends, dancing and family gatherings. With Mary Lou it was always family first.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Frederick Larsen (1932 – 2019), her father Vernon, her mother Margaret, and twin brothers Vernon and Virgil.
She is survived by her five children: Larry, Linda, Luann, Brian, and Stephen “Stevie”; eleven grandchildren: Angela, Erika, Frederick “Mitch”, Justin, Madilyn “Madi”, Shawn, Austin “AJ”, Zachary “Zach”, Ashley, Jacob, and Tyler; three grand pups: Daisy, Shrimper and Rusty; ten great-grandchildren: Cecilia, Olivia, Ava, Frederick “Wyatt”, Austin, Ambria, Triston, Laila, Lucas, and Rileigh; and a brother, Jim “Twig” Malott.
Remembering Leland V. Collins
Patriarch Leland V. Collins, who has served in that office since 2013, passed away the morning of August 1, 2019 in his home at the age of 70.
Leland has held various priesthood offices since he was ordained as an Elder in November of 1979. He was admired for his love of the gospel and willingness to serve. He was an active supporter of the South Central States (Oklahoma) Reunion, where he attended and provided ministry over the last several decades. During his time as an Apostle he was able to share his love of Jesus Christ with souls in the Philippines.
We ask for your prayers of peace and comfort at this time for his wife and family.
Photo courtesy of the family.
From John 11:25 we remember, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;"
The Remnant
By Bishop Donald B. Owens
Volume 20, Number 2 May/Jun/Jul/Aug 2019 Issue No. 78
This article was written by Bishop Owens for another Restoration publication in 1988.
It is reprinted here with permission.
As a child, my first recollection of the use of the word remnant had to do with a “remnant bag” that was used to keep small pieces of material for the women of our family and community who worked these small pieces of material into quilts that often turned out to be major works of art.
We find this same term remnant used repeatedly throughout Restoration Scriptures to refer to small groups of those faithful to the calling of God and Christ to be a righteous, faithful, and obedient people in the face of an overwhelming majority who chose to ignore the Word of God. From the beginning of God’s dealing with mankind, He has chosen to work with relatively small groups, beginning with Adam and Eve, Enoch, Noah and his family, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It may not be entirely clear from the record whether God prefers to work with the few or simply recognizes the reality of human nature that large groups have a tendency to stray from those disciplines that enable them to commune closely with the Creator.
President Frederick Niels Larsen
January 15, 1932 – April 26, 2019
On Friday, April 26, 2019, Frederick (Fred) Niels Larsen, loving husband and father of five children, passed away at the age of 87, at home with his family. Fred was born on January 15, 1932, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Edward J, Larsen, a Danish immigrant, and Lois A. Larsen, daughter of Frederick M. Smith. Fred was married on June 7, 1952, to Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Malott, the love of his life for the last 66 years. They raised three sons, Larry, Brian, and Stephen (Stevie), and two daughters, Luann and Linda.
As a young boy, Fred’s family moved to a 20-acre homestead in East Independence. Fred’s primary education started at DeKalb Country School next door to the family’s homestead. He completed his secondary education at Garden Grove Union High School In California, where he graduated in 1950. Fred received his higher education in the physical sciences at Graceland College and University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry. Fred held a series of notable professional positions. He retired from Bendix as a Polymer Chemist after 35 years of service. During his time there he served as a consultant in the field of Polyrner Science at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California. After retirement, Fred began another adventures with the City of Independence Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit as a Forensic Chemist, where he established the
illicit drugs and methamphetamine labs for the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
